SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — Support removal

Re: Support removal

2012-09-14T19:08:38Z

Yeah I found it and have been running tests through skeinforge already. Since I'm modeling my own items, I can add a disconnected flat raft under my support that will break away free from the model without affecting my parts. Do you typically use "everywhere" option or do you use "Exterior only". I'm thinking everywhere might be a beach to remove one some of the things I'm printing.

I feel so helpless because I'm not used to being the person asking the questions, I'm used to giving the answers. haha Thanks for the time you take to help everyone out.

Now if could just figure out how not to have to work for a living I could learn this thing inside and out and make some real progress.

Re: Support removal

2012-09-14T19:02:52Z

Support is at the bottom of the raft tab. There is pulldown menu which you would set to "Everywhere". The Raft tab and Add Raft, Orbit etc. both have to be checked for support to be generated. If you don't want a raft, you can set Base Layers and Interface Layers to 0.

Even though it is a pain to remove, I often use a raft with support. Since you want support to be thin, it can be more prone to coming unstuck from the bed. I would love an option that places a raft only under support, letting the model get printed directly to the bed.

Re: Support removal

2012-09-14T18:47:33Z

That's what I was thinking, so which tab in SF deals with support so I can read up on it, maybe it can save me time in my modeling and actually work better in the end for me. Some of my trials come out pretty rough after cutting away my supports and some light sanding even.

Re: Support removal

2012-09-14T17:41:00Z

What you are seeing people peel off is support generated by Skeinforge. Since SF made the support, it knows where to change the flow rate. If you care adding supports by hand in CAD, then SF will never know the difference.

Re: Support removal

2012-09-14T16:35:00Z

Print last night using the interface layers looked positive but wouldn't peel off either, I think I can play with some of those settings and get something to work, step in the right direction.

Ian you mention that you set the flow down to .7 for support, my question is on my solid model how does SF know the difference between my part and my support to know when to change the flow? Is it something I have to change in my STL setting, or something I have to do differently in my modeling, using a different solid body for support than I do for the part?

Re: Support removal

2012-09-14T00:18:27Z

IanJohnson wrote:

You can set the extrusion width of support in the advanced settings.

Thanks for that, I missed it completely.

Haven't done much support printing yet, but I have a set of shutter shades printing right now that are very intricate and have a lot of support.

Re: Support removal

2012-09-13T22:42:42Z

You can set the extrusion width of support in the advanced settings. I think that's better, since that is what you are trying to accomplish indirectly in Skeinforge by reducing the flow rate. Slic3r's support however, is not better. I often end up with columns of support that are little more than specks or dashes at their base. If they manage to remain stuck to the bed, they are far too wobbly to print on.

For small objects that need support, I often couldn't use Skeinforge, because SF made too many solid layers. Slic3r did a cleaner print of the model, but the support was unusable. I've been playing with Kisslicer and getting very good results. The support material is great, there is a 3D representation of the gcode. It's missing a few parameters that I like from Slic3r but it is actually much faster the Slic3r.

Re: Support removal

2012-09-13T22:23:59Z

Is there an equivalent setting in Slic3r? I can't see one.

Re: Support removal

2012-09-13T21:55:08Z

For peeling the raft, look at interface layers. I think it is 0 by default, but it is a layer of thin threads between the raft and the part, that is supposed to make the raft easier to remove. If you set it to 2, it will make something like a fine mesh between the raft and the model.

For support, I always set the flow to something like .7 to make it more thin and fragile. You can also set the temperature a few degrees lower as well. Also never activate crosshatch. The accordion pattern makes it easier to peel away, and cross hatch defeats that.

Support removal

2012-09-13T20:37:43Z

I see these videos around the web of people peeling away the support material leaving these intricate designs, but my support material is stuck in place and I usually have to exacto it off. What am I missing. Also I prefer to print with a raft to eliminate the shrink peel corners lifting from the HBP, can one of you screenshot your skeinforge raft page so I can compare my settings to yours. I'd like to be able to peel away the raft and not have to sand it away like I am now. One of these weekends when the kids are all sleeping at the same time I'm going to try to become more versed in this software, but for now I'm wondering if I can learn from others mistakes.